Audi to double production in China to meet rising demand

In order to meet the rising demand for passenger cars, it appears that Audi will more than double production in China within the next four years. The German firm is planning to expand the manufacturing capacity to 700,000 vehicles by 2015 depending on market demand. Currently, Audi builds 300,000 vehicles in China, according to Dietmar Voggenreiter, company's China president.

As expected, the company is considering building a second plant in addition to the one in Changchun. "You see a lot of young customers and young families now buying premium cars," Voggenreiter said.

"Nowadays, the upper middle-management customers are growing and this is our main customer focus." Audi is currently planning to overtake Bmw in global luxury-car sales by 2015 and is seeing China as the best market, which will help it achieve its sales goals.

According to a J.D. Power & Associates study, Audi currently accounts for about one-third of the luxury-car market in China, outselling Bmw and Mercedes-benz.

Currently, the compaby makes the A4L, A6L sedans and Q5 SUV with its partner China FAW Group Corp but the German company may also produce an electric car in China. Still, in order to achieve a stronger reputation among Chinese buyers, Audi needs a more vibrant lineup at least according to Namrita Chow, a senior analyst at IHS Automotive in Shanghai.

The new Audi A4 could be availed with an array of highly developed assistance systems that could make driving not only safer but also more relaxed. One of these technologies is the adaptive cruise control assistance system that could keep a steady and safe distance between the Audi A4 and the vehicle on the rear while moving at speeds of between zero and 200 km/h (124.27 mph). Should the systems detect a possible rear-end collision at speeds below 30 km/h (18.64 mph), it would apply full brakes.

Another featured technology is the Audi active lane assist system that helps the driver stay on the intended lane. By detecting the lane markings, the system could discern whether the A4 is staying on the intended lane. If it detects that the car is diverting from the lane, it could implement slight corrections to the steering. Meanwhile, vehicles in the blind spot of the A4 could be detected through radar using the Audi side assist system.

New Audi A4 has a new driver information system with break recommendation. This system could – using steering motions and other parameters -- detect deviations from the driver’s typical driving behavior and then make him or her become fully aware of these variations. The new Audi A4 is also provided with state-of-the-art infotainment systems that include an eight-speaker chorus CD radio as standard.

Range-topping A4 models are provided with a MMI navigation plus system that comes with color monitor, 3D graphics, large hard disk, and DVD player. The system now offers voice control as well as optional digital audio broadcasting.

A Bluetooth online car phone is also included. The MMI navigation plus system – through Audi connect – could provide special services like voice-controlled Google searches for points of interest. The system also offers navigation with Google Earth pictures and Google Street View. Further elements of the new A4 series include Audi online traffic information and the WLAN hotspot that is a feature of the Bluetooth online car phone.